Our integrated approach
The alignment and integration of our business strategies support and reinforce the strength and value of our franchise.
Investing in Impact
Majors
Our Majors represent primary focus areas uniquely mission-aligned to Sallie Mae’s societal impact in providing opportunities for students and families to access and complete higher education.
Minors
Our Minors complement our Majors and help define us as a responsible corporate citizen.
Core Requirements
Our Core Requirements represent best-practice topic areas related to risk management, privacy, corporate governance, and regulatory requirements.
“Achieving the dream of a higher education can open doors and create significant opportunities, but planning and preparing for this investment can be overwhelming. Sallie Mae aims to bridge those confidence gaps through our free tools and resources.”
Donna Vieira
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Product innovation and empowerment through tools and resources
Sallie Mae is more than a leader in private student lending, we’re an education solutions company committed to providing innovative products, tools, and resources to help students and families make informed, confident decisions about their higher education journey.
Scholly Scholarships by Sallie
Our Scholarship Search is free, easy to use, and connects students with a wide variety of scholarships to help make higher education more accessible and affordable.
Advancing college planning & financial literacy
We offer free tools and resources to all students and families to help them make informed decisions about planning and paying for college. Our goal is to help remove barriers to higher education, particularly for those who need the most support.
Industry-leading research
As a recognized thought leader, our reports provide insight into how American students and families approach higher education and finances—including How America Pays for College, How America Completes College, College Confidence: What America Knows About Paying for College, and more.
Strategic giving and community engagement
Through the philanthropic investments of The Sallie Mae Fund, we unlock the potential of higher education and give back to the communities where we live, work, and serve.
Delaware State University
In 2023, Sallie Mae committed a $1 million research endowment to Delaware State University to fund a three-year "Persistence and Completion Pilot Program" to help identify barriers to college completion.
The program aims to understand and overcome obstacles to degree completion, help more students complete their degree, and develop policy recommendations and best practices that can be deployed at institutions nationwide.
“When I think about the millions of talented students that stop going to school because of unexpected family obligations or financial challenges that simply could not be overcome, it is a loud alarm to us all that we should be doing more. Sallie Mae is answering the call.”
Tony Allen Ph.D.
President, Delaware State University
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Through our multi-year partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund, approximately $4 million in scholarships have been awarded to students through The Sallie Mae Fund’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program – offering opportunities to high school seniors, graduate students, and those facing unexpected financial circumstances. Learn more about the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program.
Mission-aligned partnerships
We support mission-aligned organizations at national and local levels, with particular emphasis on programs that remove barriers and help more students access and complete higher education.
2023 Community investment highlights:
Scholarships awarded
Employee and matching gift contributions
Community development loans and investments
Sallie Mae Fund strategic investments
Employee volunteer hours
We’ve been recognized as a top place to work
U.S. News and World Report has named Sallie Mae as one of the 2024-25 Best Companies to Work For based on how we support our people with a flexible work environment, opportunities for career advancement, and more.
Adoption-friendly workplace
For the third year in a row, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption named Sallie Mae as one of the 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces.
Commitment to the environment
Our team of facility experts actively monitors and manages our environmental impact. We continue to assess opportunities to reduce our energy use and emissions, design and retrofit our office spaces with more sustainable materials, and minimize the amount of waste generated in our offices.
Responsible governance
We set high standards and expectations for the ethical conduct of our leadership, team members, and our business.
Sallie Mae’s governance framework is formed by our overarching code of conduct, corporate governance policies, Board committee charters, certificate of incorporation, and bylaws. We follow our corporate governance framework and fuel a strong commitment to corporate ethics and integrity and business expertise, while continuing to build and maintain a diverse and effective Board of Directors.
“As Chair of the Sallie Mae Board of Directors, I continue to be inspired by the exceptional and diverse group of Directors who surround me. Together, alongside the company’s Executive Leadership team, we are navigating a path for Sallie Mae that remains steadfastly aligned with our mission while upholding principles of responsible, ethical, and inclusive governance.”
Mary Carter Warren Franke
Chair of Sallie Mae’s Board of Directors
